Bangalore, February 27
In what will be a key step towards attaining the geo-synchronous launch capability with significant overlap in the area of strategic technologies, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will flight test a cryogenic engine towards the end of this year or early next year, ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair said here yesterday. The engine has been in development for a few years now, with several test runs conducted on the ground. “It has now qualified for a flight test, and all parameters are looking good. Systems integration is currently on.”

It will form the final stage of another developmental flight of the Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV). Earlier, GSLV flights were powered by Russian cryogenic engines, which were supplied to India several years ago over stiff opposition by the USA under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).